Roots and rhizomesWind-damp dispellingTripterygii Wilfordii Radix

Lei Gong Teng (Thunder God Vine Root)

A practical guide to Lei Gong Teng: what it is, how Traditional Chinese Medicine uses it, the classical formulas it appears in, and who should be careful with it.

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Last reviewed Oct 29, 2026

Quick Facts

Latin Name	Tripterygii Wilfordii Radix
Chinese Name & Pinyin	雷公藤 · Lei Gong Teng
Medicinal Part	Roots and rhizomes
The item	Lei Gong Teng is the dried root of the Tripterygium wilfordii vine. Du Huo (pubescent angelica root) and other wind-damp herbs are not this drug. The raw root is markedly toxic.
Nature and channels	Cold, bitter. Enters the Liver and Kidney. Cold bitter dispels wind, clears damp, unblocks the channels, and eases pain.
Pharmacopoeia line	Dispels wind and clears damp; unblocks the channels and eases pain. Used for wind-damp bi pain and blocked-channel pain.
Pattern cues	Joint pain. Stiff and hard to bend. Limb cramps. Worse with cold or damp. Fixed stabbing pain. Numbness. Limited movement. Heavy body.
In this article	Lei Gong Teng versus Du Huo. Clearing heat and unblocking channels versus scattering cold and easing pain. Why the dose stays small. Why the raw root is not for home use. Why deficient bodies should skip it.

What Is Lei Gong Teng?

Lei Gong Teng (雷公藤; Léi Gōng Téng; Latin: Tripterygii Radix; English: thunder god vine root, Tripterygium wilfordii root) is the dried root of a climbing shrub of the staff-tree family, gathered in autumn and processed to lower its toxicity — the hard yellowish-brown root sections with a faint bitter smell that practitioners add to formulas when wind-cold-damp blocks the channels and joints ache. It is cold, bitter, enters the Liver and Kidney channels, and its core actions are to dispel wind and clear damp, and to unblock the channels and ease pain. The usual amount is 3–6 g of the processed piece in a decoction. It is a strongly toxic medicinal material — the raw root is used only under strict professional control, and even the processed piece is never for casual home self-use.

It is not Du Huo. Pubescent angelica root also dispels wind-damp — it is warm, acrid, and bitter, entering the Kidney and Bladder, leaning to dispelling wind, scattering cold, and easing pain in the lower burner; this thunder god vine root is cold and bitter, leaning to clearing heat, dispelling wind-damp, and unblocking the channels. It is not a general joint or pain herb; it acts within clear patterns. In yin-deficiency with internal heat, qi-blood deficiency, or during pregnancy, using it on your own is a poor match. Severe joint disease, or a markedly unwell child, needs a clinic first. Do not use it yourself for a long time.

It is used most often for three patterns:

Wind-damp bi pain — joint pain, stiff and hard to bend, limb cramps, worse with cold or damp, a heavy body
Blocked-channel pain — fixed stabbing joint pain, numbness, limited movement
Yin-deficiency with internal heat, qi-blood deficiency, pregnancy, or children — seek care / skip it

Cold, bitter, and strongly draining, it is not a daily "damp-clearing tea" to keep drinking. Draining when there is no damp, or in a deficient body, consumes the healthy qi instead of helping.

When wind-cold-damp blocks the channels — joint pain that worsens with cold or damp, limbs that feel heavy — or when the channels are stuck with fixed stabbing pain, the body needs a strong dispel-and-unblock rather than a gentle hold. Lei Gong Teng is cold, bitter, and strongly active. It dispels the wind-damp, clears the heat, and unblocks the channels, which is why it appears in Lei Gong Teng Tang (Thunder God Vine Decoction)–type formulas. It drains more than it holds. In yin-deficiency with internal heat, or without wind-damp, more makes it worse.

Lei Gong Teng is not a catch-all joint or pain herb. In yin-deficiency with internal heat, in qi-blood deficiency, in pregnancy, or without wind-damp, using it alone is a poor match. The dose, the processed form, and whether it belongs in a formula should be decided by a licensed Chinese medicine practitioner after pattern diagnosis.

Lei Gong Teng: Materia Medica Profile

Identification & Quality Standard

Tripterygii Wilfordii Radix

Botanical Origin

The dried root and rhizome of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f. (Celastraceae).

Production Regions

Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi.

Quality Requirements

Superior medicinal material is thick, reddish-brown, with bark.

Macroscopic Features

Root is cylindrical, often branched, 10~60cm long, 0.5~3cm diameter. Externally yellowish-brown or dark brown, with longitudinal wrinkles and transverse lenticels; bark often fallen off. Hard; cut surface is reddish-brown, with wood rays. Faint odor, taste bitter and pungent.

Main Regions and Quality Identification

Classic texts and trade experience favor roots from several southern mountain provinces, but quality still depends on the variety, harvest time, processing, and storage. The dried root shows a cylindrical shape, a yellowish-brown or brown surface with longitudinal shallow grooves, hard, a yellowish-white cross-section with fine radial lines, a faint bitter smell, and a bitter-astringent taste with a slight prickle. The raw piece is more toxic and closer to the wild plant in look and smell; the processed piece has a lower toxicity, is more crisp, and has a softer smell. The common look-alikes are other staff-tree-family vines — different in leaf form or root cross-section — check carefully.

Traditional Properties & Historical Lineage

Nature, Flavour & Channel Tropism

Bitter, Acrid; Cold; Highly toxicLiverKidney

1. Records in Classic Materia Medica

Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing: does not list the plant directly, but similar vine-type wind-dispelling herbs are already described.
Ming Yi Bie Lu: mentions use for "various foul sores, abscesses and hemorrhoids, and eroding dead flesh," linked to its external action.
Xin Xiu Ben Cao: records it as "sweet, cold, toxic," echoing the later view of its flavor and toxicity.
Ben Cao Gang Mu: is used for "wind-damp bi pain, calendar-joint wind, and cramping pain," matching the later channel-unblocking pain-easing view.
De Pei Ben Cao: adds the cautions — "all cases that are not wind-damp, or yang-excess with fire rising, yin-deficiency with heat, superficial deficiency with sweat, and malarial thirst, are forbidden."
Zhong Hua Ben Cao: consolidates — dispelling wind, clearing damp, invigorating the blood, unblocking the channels, dispersing swelling, and easing pain.

2. How Views of Its Nature Changed

Early doctors leaned on the external swelling-resolving and toxin-clearing side for skin sores; later clinical use broadened to the internal wind-damp-dispelling side for joint pain; other doctors stressed the toxicity and urged strict control of the scope; still others noted that it fits excess-type wind-damp bi rather than yin-deficiency or qi-blood-deficiency patterns. The range has become stricter over time, and misuse is avoided.

Core Efficacies & Traditional Applications

Traditional Functions

Expels wind-dampness, invigorates collaterals, reduces swelling and stops pain, kills parasites and resolves toxin.

1. Main Use 1: Dispelling Wind and Clearing Damp

(1) Traditional action: dispelling the wind-damp that blocks the channels and easing wind-damp bi pain. (2) Typical patterns: joint pain, hard to bend, limb cramps, worse with cold or damp, a heavy body, a white greasy tongue coat. (3) Usual pairings: Du Huo and Sang Ji Sheng to strengthen the wind-dispelling and damp-clearing. (4) Not for self-use: non-excess patterns — such as joint pain from yin-deficiency with internal heat — and pregnancy, nursing, children, the elderly, and liver-kidney impairment, all need a practitioner.

2. Main Use 2: Unblocking the Channels and Easing Pain

(1) Traditional action: unblocking the channels and easing the pain of wind-damp bi — limb pain and cramps. (2) Typical patterns: fixed stabbing joint pain, numbness, limited movement, sometimes dark patches on the local skin. (3) Usual pairings: Dang Gui and Chuan Xiong to strengthen the blood-invigorating and channel-unblocking. (4) Not for self-use: limb pain from qi-blood deficiency, not channel blockage, and anyone with a bleeding tendency — be cautious.

3. A Classic Pairing

Lei Gong Teng pairs classically with Du Huo: the thunder god vine root is bitter-cold, clearing heat, dispelling wind-damp, and unblocking the channels — good at clearing wind-damp-heat from the channels; the pubescent angelica root is acrid-warm, dispelling wind-damp and scattering cold — good at driving out lower-burner wind-cold-damp. The pair coordinates to strengthen the wind-damp dispelling and pain easing for wind-damp bi with cold-damp blocking. The pairing needs a practitioner's pattern diagnosis — never self-pair.

Modern Research

Modern research offers useful context, but Traditional Chinese Medicine prescribes on whole-pattern diagnosis rather than isolated compounds.

1. Main Chemical Constituents

Detected in the plant are celastrol and triptolide (the signature constituents), alkaloids, and terpenoids. In vitro, some constituents affect the activity of certain cells; in animals, some extracts improve joint swelling in models. Human clinical studies are still ongoing, with no firm conclusion on the human effects yet.

2. Current Research Directions

Current work centers on isolating and extracting the active constituents and observing their effects in animal models, trying to clarify the possible mechanisms. Human verification of the actual effects is still needed — lab or animal results cannot be taken as clinical efficacy.

3. Limitations of Current Research

Lab results are not clinical efficacy — the human environment differs greatly from animals and cell cultures.
Extracts are not decoction pieces — the purity and dose of the monomers differ from the complex composition of the piece.
Doses and preparations vary between studies — results differ and cannot form a unified conclusion.
One component does not define the whole herb — the herb acts as a team of constituents; one component's activity cannot represent the whole.

Comparing Similar Herbs

1. What They Share

Both dispel wind and clear damp, easing limb pain from wind-damp blockage.
Both are used for wind-damp bi patterns — joint pain, limb cramps.
Both need constitution and dose care — the dose adjusts by the case.

2. Key Differences

Nature and flavor: Lei Gong Teng is cold and bitter, entering the Liver and Kidney — leaning to descending, a draining herb that clears, drains, and unblocks; Du Huo is warm, acrid, and bitter, entering the Kidney and Bladder — leaning to rising, a dispersing herb that dispels wind, scatters cold, clears damp, and eases pain. Focus: Lei Gong Teng dispels wind-damp with a heat-clearing note — for wind-damp bi leaning to damp-heat blockage, plus unblocking channels and easing cramps; Du Huo dispels wind-damp with a cold-scattering note — more marked for wind-damp bi leaning to cold-damp blockage, good at driving out lower-burner wind-cold-damp. Tendency: Lei Gong Teng descends — guiding the evil downward, unblocking the lower-burner channel blood, draining the excess; Du Huo rises — guiding the evil outward, unblocking the surface and lower-burner channel blood, scattering the cold. Best fit: Lei Gong Teng for joint pain worse with heat or damp, a heavy body, a yellow greasy coat; Du Huo for joint pain worse with cold, cold limbs, a white greasy coat. Who should avoid: Lei Gong Teng — yin-deficiency with internal heat, qi-blood deficiency, and strict caution for pregnancy, nursing, and liver-kidney impairment; Du Huo — yin-deficiency with blood dryness, bleeding tendency, and caution in pregnancy. Where you meet them: Lei Gong Teng in wind-dispelling heat-clearing channel-unblocking formulas, also used as a processed single piece; Du Huo as a main wind-dispelling herb in wind-cold-damp formulas.

3. One-Line Takeaway

In short, Lei Gong Teng is bitter-cold and clears heat while dispelling wind-damp and unblocking the channels; Du Huo is acrid-warm and scatters cold while dispelling wind-damp and easing pain. Both serve wind-damp bi joint pain — but they are not stand-ins for each other.

Classical Formulas Containing Lei Gong Teng

Classic Formula 1: Lei Gong Teng Duo Gan Pian

Role of this herb: in the Lei Gong Teng Duo Gan (polyglycoside) tablet, the thunder god vine glycosides are the main medicinal material — the monarch — dispelling wind-damp and unblocking the channels to ease wind-damp bi joint discomfort, with supporting herbs harmonizing the nature and strengthening the effect. Alone, the single herb cannot balance the nature and lower the toxicity the way the preparation does — the single use may bring toxicity risk. Traditional focus: wind-damp bi pain, joint pain, and limb cramps. Modern note: professional diagnosis first — never self-apply the preparation just because its name sounds related to a complaint.

Classic Formula 2: Lei Gong Teng Tang

Role of this herb: in Lei Gong Teng Tang (Thunder God Vine Decoction), Lei Gong Teng is the monarch — dispelling wind-damp and unblocking the channels — with supporting herbs such as Dang Gui and Chuan Xiong strengthening the blood-invigorating and channel-unblocking for limb pain and cramps. Alone, the single herb cannot cover the blood-invigorating side of the full pattern. Traditional focus: long-standing wind-damp bi with fixed joint pain and numbness. Modern note: professional diagnosis first — never self-take; the dose and pairings adjust by the case.

Formula vs. Single Herb

A formula is a coordinated whole — each herb has a specific pairing role, balancing the nature, adding synergy, and lowering the toxicity; a single herb cannot reproduce the full effect and may even raise the toxicity risk. Do not self-formulate from web articles — web content cannot provide professional pattern diagnosis and dose adjustment. A herb that works in a formula does not work the same way alone.

Diet & Daily Home Use

1. Home Tea (Low-Risk Example)

Example — processed Lei Gong Teng tea: processed Lei Gong Teng piece 3 g, Sheng Jiang 1 slice — put both in a cup, pour boiling water, cover 10 minutes, and drink, refilling once. Fit: mild care in the easing phase of wind-damp bi, under a practitioner's pattern diagnosis — only for mild excess-type wind-damp bi. Not for: pregnancy, nursing, children, liver-kidney impairment, yin-deficiency with internal heat, or qi-blood deficiency. Frequency: 1–2 times a week; never long continuous use — stop at once if discomfort appears. Note: Lei Gong Teng is a medicinal piece, not an ordinary food — keep the dose strictly controlled.

2. Decoction and Processing Differences

The raw root is markedly toxic and used mainly in professional clinical formulas with strict dose control; the processed piece has a lower toxicity, is more crisp, and is milder — fitter for home use but still cautious. At home: soak the piece 30 minutes first, then decoct 20–30 minutes; do not cook it with other herbs at the same time, which may affect the effect or raise the toxicity; some processed forms may need first-boiling — follow the practitioner's guidance. Different forms cannot be dose-converted directly — the piece dose differs from the pill and tablet doses; follow the prescription.

3. Dosage and How Long to Use

The classic range is 3–6 g, adjusted by the pattern and constitution; food-remedy doses are smaller and only supportive — they cannot replace medicinal use. No long continuous use — generally no more than 2 weeks, then pause 1–2 weeks before considering again; special groups — the elderly and liver-kidney impairment — shorten the cycle and consult a practitioner or pharmacist first.

Contraindications & Safety Warnings

1. Who Should Avoid It

Yin-deficiency with internal heat — dry mouth, tidal heat and night sweat, hot palms and soles — avoid; qi-blood deficiency — a pale face, fatigue and shortness of breath — avoid; superficial deficiency with sweat — easy spontaneous sweat, fear of wind — avoid; pregnancy and nursing — may affect the fetus or infant, strictly forbidden; children and the elderly — immature or declining organ function, poor tolerance, no self-use; liver or kidney impairment — the herb is metabolized by the liver and kidney and may add burden or harm; allergy to the staff-tree family — avoid; people on immunosuppressants or anticoagulants — consult a doctor first.

2. Interactions and Diet Notes

Lei Gong Teng may affect anticoagulant, blood-pressure, blood-sugar, and sedative medicines — with an anticoagulant the bleeding risk may rise, with a blood-pressure medicine the pressure-lowering may strengthen and cause low pressure, and with a sedative the sedation may deepen. No blanket "food clash" between ordinary foods is established, but certain herbs may interact with specific medicines — those on medication should consult a doctor or pharmacist first; if other medicines are needed during use, space them 1–2 hours apart; avoid spicy, greasy, and raw-cold food during use.

3. Side Effects and Overuse

Use may bring stomach-gut reactions — nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea; skin reactions — rash, itching; liver-kidney-related signs — fatigue, abnormal urine color; and dizziness or palpitations. If marked discomfort, an allergic reaction, persistent vomiting, breathing difficulty, confusion, or a rapid worsening of symptoms occurs, stop at once and seek care — never self-manage. Even the processed piece must keep a strict dose — never raise it on your own because the symptoms have not eased; it may lead to poisoning.

Frequently Asked Questions About Lei Gong Teng

What is Leigongteng? Is it the same as Kunming Shanhaitang or Weimao?

Leigongteng is the dried root or woody part of the root of Tripterygium wilfordii, Latin name Tripterygii Radix. It is a common Chinese medicine centered on dispelling wind and eliminating dampness, activating blood and unblocking collaterals, reducing swelling and relieving pain, and killing parasites and detoxifying. Kunming Shanhaitang dispels wind and eliminates dampness while unblocking collaterals. Weimao breaks blood and unblocks the channels while killing parasites. They cannot be used interchangeably in equal amounts. Prescribe as Leigongteng. Use with caution in pregnancy.

What are the composition and effects of Leigongteng?

Pharmacopoeial name Leigongteng, Latin Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f. Bitter and pungent in taste, cold in nature, highly toxic, enters the Liver meridian. Functions to dispel wind and eliminate dampness, activate blood and unblock collaterals, reduce swelling and relieve pain, and kill parasites and detoxify. Used for rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatic arthritis, glomerulonephritis, nephrotic syndrome, lupus erythematosus, Sjögren's syndrome, Behçet's disease, eczema, psoriasis, leprosy, scabies, and stubborn tinea. Dispels wind and unblocks collaterals.

How to choose between raw and processed? Can Kunming Shanhaitang replace it?

Root or woody part is used raw. Kunming Shanhaitang emphasizes unblocking collaterals rather than strongly killing parasites, and cannot replace it in equal amounts. Commercial products are standardized; do not adjust arbitrarily.

What is the dosage of Leigongteng? Can it be used daily as a collateral-unblocking tea?

Decoction, 1-3g (bark removed). Modern use requires physician-determined dosage. It is not a year-round "Leigongteng tea." Highly toxic. Pregnancy will be further injured by prolonged use. Arthritis requires short-term, physician-determined dosage and cannot replace evaluation.

What are the contraindications of Leigongteng? Can pregnant women use it?

Highly toxic. Use with caution in pregnancy. Not suitable for those with organic lesions of the heart, liver or kidney. Stop if dry mouth or fatigue occur. Seek immediate medical care for severe arthritis or high fever.

Can Leigongteng dispel wind, unblock collaterals, and relieve pain?

It can assist rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatic arthritis, glomerulonephritis, nephrotic syndrome, lupus erythematosus, Sjögren's syndrome, Behçet's disease, eczema, psoriasis, leprosy, scabies, and stubborn tinea. It dispels wind and eliminates dampness, activates blood and unblocks collaterals, reduces swelling and relieves pain, and kills parasites and detoxifies, but is not a specific remedy for all arthritis or all kidney disease.

Can Leigongteng be taken daily as a collateral-unblocking or pain-relieving tea?

Wind-damp bi pain can be used short-term in formulas; pregnancy will be further injured. The idea that "Leigongteng must unblock collaterals" cannot replace evaluation. Dispelling wind and unblocking collaterals requires physician-determined formulation and dosage.

How to choose between Leigongteng, Kunming Shanhaitang, Weimao, Qingfengteng, and Luoshiteng?

Leigongteng dispels wind and unblocks collaterals, suited to arthritis. Kunming Shanhaitang dispels wind and unblocks collaterals. Weimao breaks blood and unblocks the channels. Qingfengteng dispels wind-damp and unblocks collaterals. Luoshiteng dispels wind and unblocks collaterals while cooling the blood. Choose Leigongteng for unblocking collaterals; Kunming Shanhaitang for unblocking collaterals; Weimao for breaking blood; Qingfengteng for dispelling wind; Luoshiteng for cooling the blood. Pattern differentiation applies, but use with caution in large doses during pregnancy.

How is Leigongteng commonly modified? What is a representative usage?

Modifications depend on the pattern. Add Qingfengteng for arthritis; add Huangqi for kidney disease. Specify Leigongteng; do not substitute Kunming Shanhaitang in equal amounts for unblocking collaterals.

How to select and store Leigongteng?

Choose regular Chinese medicinal materials with intact roots or woody parts. Discard if moldy, damp, or abnormal in odor. Store in a dry place. Purchase "Leigongteng"; do not substitute Kunming Shanhaitang or Weimao in equal amounts for dispelling wind, unblocking collaterals, and relieving pain.

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Medical Disclaimer — This article is provided for educational purposes only and describes traditional Chinese medicine concepts. It is not medical advice, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using any herb, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a diagnosed condition.